Recipe: Zachary's Californian Chicago-Style Stuffed Pizza - The authentic recipe

Found this recipe and thought any of you Zachary's fans might enjoy it. It sounds like it's straight from the source.

CALIFORNIAN CHICAGO-STYLE STUFFED PIZZA

"Zach Zachowski and his wife and partner, Barbara Gabel, lived in Chicago for many years, where they fell in love with deep-dish pizza (and each other), but not the blustery winters. They headed west in 1982. Zachowski, who had worked in several Chicago pizzerias, quickly discovered that there was nothing like this hearty Midwest favorite in California. He adapted what he knew to the Californian palate - lightening things up a bit by swapping out the heavy, dense sauce for a fresh, chunky tomato mixture and using a bit less oil in the dough. In the dough. J.P. LaRussa, who has been with Zachary's in Oakland. California since it opened twenty-two years ago and is now the general manager, has this advice for the home pizza cook who wants to tackle deep-dish: You can spend an entire day making one pizza. Make it a family affair. A project for a rainy day'"

FOR THE DOUGH:
1 tablespoon sugar
1 package active dry yeast
2 cups lukewarm water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
4 to 6 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 (12 or 14-inch) deep dish pizza pan
FOR THE SAUCE:
Olive oil, enough to coat a saucepan
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 pounds fresh Roma tomatoes, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
1 (8 ounce) can tomato pur e
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh basil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
FOR THE STUFFING:
- Your favorite cheeses (Zachary's uses mostly shredded mozzarella)
- Fresh raw vegetables (diced or sliced)
- Your choice of meats (pepperoni, linguica, uncooked Italian sausage, ground beef, etc.)

TO MAKE THE DOUGH:
In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar and the yeast in the water. Let stand until bubbly.

Stir in the oil. Stir in 4 cups of flour until smooth. Slowly mix in more flour as needed to form a firm dough ball. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until it's smooth and elastic.

Lightly grease another bowl and transfer the dough into it. Turn the dough once in the bowl to coat the dough with oil. Allow the dough to rise until it doubles in size.

Punch down the dough and let it rest for another 10 minutes. After resting, the dough is ready to use for pizza.

TO MAKE THE SAUCE:
While the dough is resting, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and lightly saute it to infuse the oil, about 3 minutes. Then stir in the tomatoes, tomato puree, oregano, basil, and salt and pepper. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

TO ASSEMBLE THE PIZZA:
Preheat oven to 475 degrees F (245C).

On a lightly floured surface, roll two-thirds of the dough into a 16-inch circle. Press the dough into a 12-inch or 14-inch round deep-dish pizza pan, making sure that the dough is pressed against the sides of the pan and extends up and over the rim.

Add your favorite cheeses and ingredients to fill the pan roughly halfway.

Roll the remaining dough to form another 16-inch circle. Place it over the pizza pan and seal the sides of the pizza together. Poke several holes through the top layer of dough. Cut off any excess dough near the top rim of the pan.

Pour the tomato sauce over the top layer of dough. If desired, top with other ingredients, such as fresh pesto sauce or artichoke hearts.

Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.

Bake at 475 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.

Makes one 12-to-14-inch deep-dish pizza (a 12-inch pizza serves 3-4; a 14-inch serves 4-5)
From: Zach Zachowski and Barbara Gabel (co-owners of Zachary's)
Source: Everybody Loves Pizza by Penny Pollack and Jeff Ruby